Branding machine



EF mail Zip-Q. 112

F. HAYES BRANDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 27, 1926 Patented Aug. 16, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT FF CE! FRANK HAYES, or EL MONTE, CALIFORNIA,AssIGNOR 'ro CALIFORNIA WALNUT GBOWERS ASSOCIATION, 01 LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION or can'- FORNIA.

BRANDING MACH-INE, I

Application filed January 27, 1926. SerialNo. 84,032.

This invention relates to branding machines and more particularly tobranding machines for branding or marking irregular surfaced articlesand articles of irregular surface contour and size, such as walnutsorthe like. a v

Many attempts have heretofore been made to brand, stamp or imprint uponthe-surfaces of walnuts and other like and similar'articles of irregularsurface or irregular contour and of irregular size, which attempts havebeen for the most part impractical, nonoperative and expensive, so thatthere cannot be said to be a completely successful apparatus forcontinuously branding walnuts and the like. I

The principal difliculty encountered in branding or marking walnuts is aresultant of the irregular surface and irregular surfacecontour, sizeand shape of such articles, such as walnuts, whlch results in thearching of the walnuts on the delivery cloth so I that the same cannotbe fed uniformly into a marking machine but will arch and will entirelyclutter up the machine so that the same soon becomes inoperative withoutcontinuous and close attention to prevent such arching,

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an apparatus inwhich the walnuts may be taken from an inclined trough and deliveredbymeans of a continuous conveyor in single file relation past a printingor marking mechanism so that arching will be prevented and a continuousstream of walnuts will be fed to the printing or marking means. 7

Another object of this invention is to provide a conveyor fortakingwalnuts from an inclined chute continuously and delivering.

the same to the marking means, which conveyor is of the endless type andis mounted at such an incline that the walnuts will be segregated fromthe mass one line at a time and conveyed. 1

Other objects and advantages of thisinvention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed descript1on of a preferred embodiment thereof asillustrated in the accom panying'drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wal- The chains nut branding machineembodyingthis invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmental top plan view of i a conveyor embodying, thisinvention; O y

Figure 31s an end sectlon of the conveyor taken substantially on theline 3+3 of Figdrawings, illustrates a standard oroframe. havlnguprlghts 2 to which'the frame 3 of the apparatus is secured- Mounted atone end of the frame 3 is a chute 4 into which the walnuts or other likeor similar articles to'be branded or marked, are introduced,

An inclined chute 5 leads from the'vertically extending chute 4: to apoint of deliveryof" the. articles to be stamped adjacent a con- 10..The blocks 9 are preferably constructed 'of cast aluminum and have aplurality of cups '11 formed therein, which cups 11 are preferably ofthe shape of a segment of a sphere. and have a flat rear wall 11. A

7 and 8 are trained over sprockets 12 at the opposite sides of theapparatus, v(onlyone of which sprockets 12 is shown in the drawing), andover sprockets 13 mounted below the sprockets 12 (likewise only one ofthe sprockets 13 is shown in the drawing). The sprockets 12 are keyed toa shaft 14: which is disposed in bearings transversely of the frame 3.The sprockets 13 are keyed to a shaft 15 which is journaled in bearingstransversely of the frame or standar 1. v I

The sprockets 12 and 13 are so mounted that the conveyor 6 is aninclined .posi- -tion at an angle from the horizontal greater than 45.pair of idler sprockets 16 are mounted at pins 17 journaled inbearingmembers on the frame 3. The pins 17 are adjustably supported in slots 18so that the angle of inclination of the conyeyor 6, as well as thetension in the chains 7 and 8, may be regulated by adjusting theposition of the pin 17- in the slot 18. Inorder to drive the conveyor 6,a motor 19' is provided type-and is composed of a pair of endless sidechains 7 and 8 to which blocks 9 are secured aS at:

nuts from running 0 which drives a countershaft 20 through a beltconnection 21. A sprocket 22 is keyed to the shaft 20 and a chain 23 ischained over the sprocket 22 and over a sprocket 2e keyed to the shaft14.

A printing roller 25 having stamps 26 secured around its periphery inposition adj acent the cups 1.1.is mounted on a shaft 27 journaled inbearings transversely of the frame and which printing roller is adjacentand slightly in advance of the highest point of travel of the cups 11and conveyor Got the sprockets 12. The printing roller 25 may be of anydesired or preferred construction and is preferably of the typeillustrated-in the copending,application of flubert C. Sharp, filedJanuary 27, 1926, Serial No, 84,020. Mounted on the frame 3 is an inkingmechanism 28 for applying ink to the stamps 26 mounted on the roller 25,which inkingmechanism may be of any desired or preferred construction asis well understood in: the art. r

The chute 5 terminates a distance away from the conveyor 6 so as toprovide a path between the conveyor 6 and the end of the chute 5 alongwhich the walnuts or articles to be marked may travel to thesubstantially flat portion 6" of the conveyor 6 where the said articlesfall into'the pockets 11. The articles are retained in the pockets 11against the rear wall thereof as the conveyor travels upward from theflatportion 6 The articles, such as walnuts, are traveling down the pathalong the conveyorand therefore insure that eachpocket will contain onlyone articleto'be marked. The conveyor is inclined so thatv the excesswalnuts will fall from the pockets when subjected to this countercurrent flow of the walnuts in the path.

A baffle-plate 7 a is ro-vided to prevent the the conveyor 6.

Having fully described thepreferred em bodiment of this invention, it isto be understood that I. do" not wish to be limited to the-exact detailsherein set forth which may obviously be varied without departing fromthe spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of aninclined chute, an oppositely inclined conveyorhaving a plurality ofremovable blocks, each of which blocksis provided with a plurality ofindependent recesses forming nut receiving cups, and a pair of sidechains to which the blocks are removably secured, means for driving theconveyor, and a printing mechanism supported in-position adjacent theconveyor.

2. In an'apparatus of the class described, thecombination'of an inclinedconveyor having aplurality of bars having'ai plurality of independentnut receiving and conveying cups formed therein, a pair of endlesschains,

means for removably mounting the said bars between the chains, means fordriving the endless conveyor, and a printing mechanism supported inposition adjacent the conveyor. V

In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of an inclinedconveyor having a plurality of bars 'removably mounted therein, each ofwhich bars has aplurality of independent recesses formed therein formingnut receiving cups, the said conveyor being driven at an incline ofgreater than 4L5" from the horizontal, means for driving the conveyor,and a printing mechanism supported in position adjacent the conveyor.

4. In anapparatus of the class described, the combination of adownwardly inclined chute, an upwardly inclined conveyor inclined at anangle'greater thanv 45 from the horizontal andhaving a plurality ofindividual open pockets formed for; the receiving of articles to bestamped, meansfor driving the conveyor, and aprinting mechanismsupported in. position to print upon the articles freely mounted withinthe individual open pockets.

5. In an apparatusof the class described,

the combination of a downwardly inclined chute, a conveyor having anupwardly inclined portion and a substantially horizontal portion downwhich the nuts flow, and a plurality of pockets formed in the said con'veyor. I

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a conveyorhaving an upwardly inclined portion and a substantially horizontalportion, a downwardly inclined chute terminating a distance from theconveyor and'down which the articles to be marked flow to the horizontalportion of the conveyor, countercurrently to the direction of travel ofthe said conveyor, and a plurality of pockets formed in the conveyor. VV

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a pair ofspaced endless chains, a plurality of blocks secured to the;

said chains at'their opposite ends to provide an inclined conveyor, thesaid blocks havinga plurality of cups formed therein, which cups are ofapproximately the shape ofa segment of a sphere having a flat rearwardwall and means mounted adjacent the upper substantially horizontal endof the said conveyor for marking the articles freely positionedwithinthe said cups.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a conveyorhaving an upwardly inclinedportion and a plurality of open nutreceiving-cups, a downwardly inclined chute mounted in position adjacentthe intermediate and inclined portion and having its delivery end spacedfrom the said inclined portion of the conveyor a distance greater thanthe largest diameter of the said nuts, sprockets over which the saidconveyor is trained at its upper end, and means mounted adjacent andabove the said sprockets for marking the nuts freely positioned withinthe saidopen cups.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of an endlessconveyor, sprockets over which the said endless conveyor is trainedmeans for driving one of the said sprockets, the said conveyor having anupwardly inclined portion and a substantially horizontal portionintermediate the said sprockets, and a downwardly inclined chuteterminating a distance away from the said conveyor intermediate the saidsprockets.

10. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination of a conveyor having an upwardly inclined portion and asubstantially horizontal portion, a plurality of open nut receivingcups, a downwardly inclined chute mounted in position adjacent the saidinclined portion and spaced therefrom a distance greater than thelargest diameter of the said nuts, sprockets over which the saidconveyor is trained at its upper end,

' tioned in the said open cups, and a battle mounted in positionadjacent the lowerv end of the said horizontal portion of the saidconveyor. 1

11. In an apparatus of t e class described, the combination of aconveyor, sprockets over which the said conveyor is trained, means fordriving one'of said sprockets, the said conveyor having an upwardlyinclined portion and a substantially horizontal portion intermediate thesaid. sprockets, means for delivering the nuts to the said conveyorbetween the said sprockets, and means mounted adjacent and above theupper of said sprockets for marking the nuts conveyed by the saidconveyor.

Signed at El Monte, Calif, this 19 day of January, 1926. I

FRANK HAYES.

